


Tender Loving Care

by PeaceLilies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Divergent, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Keith is an amazing caregiver, M/M, Mentions of Violence, hugs! SHIRO HUGS!, mentions of trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeaceLilies/pseuds/PeaceLilies
Summary: Keith and Shiro are struggling with some physical (and maybe some emotional) pain and they're there to comfort each other.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 63





	1. Keith

Keith is tired. Bone tired. Every inch of him aches. He's sluggish in his movements, bleary eyed, and unsteady. He knew that the mission was going to be intense, it always was. Anything with the Blades was intense. 

And he needed to prove himself. Work harder. Faster. Better. Whatever he lacked in size he needed to make up for in speed. In power. 

But sometimes you weren’t fast enough. Sometimes things didn’t go according to plan. And even when they did, you could only hold out for so long. 

He was so fucking  _ tired _ . Completely spent. He held his hand to the biometric scanner that led to the bridge, feeling like his arm weighed a thousand pounds, walking through the door when it opens. He wasn’t really seeing, just, moving on instinct to get back to his quarters. 

"Whoa. Easy there, trouble," Shiro hums, big, warm hands resting on Keith's shoulders. He's gentle, though it belies the strength of those hands that Keith is intimately familiar with. He doesn’t have the energy to look up at Shiro, but he’s so thankful he’s here. 

The feeling of gratitude crashes through him, sudden but not unwelcome, and he sways a little under Shiro’s hands. 

"Why don't you take a beat?" Shiro suggests, gently rubbing his arms. Keith sighs, unable to form words, and rests his forehead on Shiro's sternum. He leans into Shiro, and he’s surprised his legs don’t buckle, his eyes still unseeing, feeling dry and itchy from exhaustion. 

"Hey, hey. You okay, baby?" Shiro asks, his voice low and tender. Keith shakes his head, letting out a shuttery breath. He’s not okay. He’s not sure if he’ll ever be okay. And in this moment, all he wants is Shiro. 

"Okay. It's okay. I got you. C'mere." Shiro's arms wrap around him, pulling him flush, and Keith turns his head to lay his cheek against his chest, listening to his heart beat. He closes his tired eyes, tears pooling behind his eyelids, and Shiro holds him close. 

"You're alright, sweetheart. You're okay."

Keith whines low in his throat, relief washing through him at being able to have this comfort. Shiro's heartbeat is strong, just like his arms. He's warm and safe. He smells like home. It’s what Keith needs. Wants. Has always needed and wanted. And now he  _ has _ . How long had he been starving for this comfort? Missing it from every aspect of his life. Desperate. Now he can have it whenever he wants and the idea is still so new and overwhelming. 

He finds himself crying harder.

Shiro gently rocks them back and forth and Keith let's himself cry quiet tears. It's cathartic, just like being in Shiro's arms always is. He could stay here forever. He wants to stay here forever. It would be easy to. He could melt into Shiro. Never to be parted. 

They stay like that for long moments that feel like hours, before Keith peels himself away, mustering up enough strength to move, though it’s taxing. Shiro hushes him softly. He’s not demeaning. He’s soft and sweet, his hands carefully wiping Keith's face, brushing away tears and snot, his expression a soft concern, mixed with gentle affection. 

Keith looks up at him, seeing him, blinking slowly. It hurts to do that, but Shiro is worth looking at. He smiles, his face handsome and soft, grey eyes warm, fond. He brushes Keith’s fringe gently from his forehead and presses a kiss to his skin. 

"Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" Keith nods and Shiro lifts him up as if he weighs nothing. He moans softly, from the ache of his sore muscles. 

“Sorry, baby, sorry,” Shiro murmures, gentle and soothing. They get to their quarters and Shiro makes a beeline for the bathroom. He gently sets Keith down on the lid of the toilet, turning on the shower to let it warm, before helping Keith slip out of his suit. He’s bruised and there are some cuts, so Shiro has him sit again so he can tend to them. He’s quick and efficient, offering soft apologies and tender kisses as he goes, soothing stings and burns. 

“Alright, love. In we go,” he says, once he’s out of his own clothes, helping Keith into the shower. It takes him a moment to adjust, but the hot spray of water feels good on his skin. He leans into Shiro, closing his eyes, maybe even falling asleep, as Shiro gently washes away his troubles. 

Shiro’s fingers are like heaven. Rubbing into his scalp, gently soothing over his tacky skin, leaving him feeling clean, and more sleepy. Shiro turns off the water, gently leading Keith out of the shower, and towels him dry. He’s so careful, treating Keith like glass. He isn’t a fragile thing but he appreciates that Shiro takes care of him. He always has.

He manages to find his way to the bed, sitting down while Shiro towels off, too. Feeling infinitely better than he had when he’d gotten back. 

He lets him help him into his comfiest pajamas, before he slides under the covers before Shiro can pull them back. He sprawls out, heaving a deep sigh, closing his eyes. He can hear Shiro putter around. The sound of a water glass being filled, Shiro’s footsteps, the glass being set on the bedside table. He’ll need it later he knows. 

The bed dips under Shiro’s weight, the room bathed in darkness now, the light having been turned off. Shiro is next to him and Keith gravitates into his space, molding against his side. Shiro wraps him in his arms again and Keith’s body goes completely limp. 

Shiro kisses his forehead, strokes his hair, murmuring sweet nothings to him. He sings a little, too, soft and tender. Shiro has a beautiful voice and Keith could listen to him for hours. 

It’s so easy for him to fall asleep from there, certain in the knowledge that he's safe and loved.


	2. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro are struggling with some physical (and maybe some emotional) pain and they're there to comfort each other.

Shiro knows that it’s ingrained, reflex, something that will always be hard to break. 

He has never liked showing weakness. Never wanted to be seen as weak or ill or less than. Couldn’t afford to be seen as such. Couldn’t show any form of pain. That meant being killed. 

The arena doesn’t haunt his nightmares like it used to but at times he finds himself waking from phantom pain. He doesn’t make any sound, simply curls in on himself, and wishes it away. 

He tells himself that he does it now to protect the team. They have bigger things to worry about than his shoulder bothering him. He knows he hides it well. Mostly. It’s easier to just push it all down, for it to become a worry for another day. 

He should have known Keith would catch on...he always does. Sometimes Shiro forgets that...someone cares. That someone is looking out for him. He’s not alone. Keiths  _ sees _ him.

Keith’s quiet about it, as he is about most things when it comes to his personal life. For all his brashness, he’s a private person, someone who is more about action than words. They have that, amongst other things, in common. 

They’re coming out of a meeting and Shiro knows that Keith saw him, could feel his eyes on him, noticing every uncomfortable movement and flex of his body, every near wince. He rests a hand against Shiro’s back, subtle, and gentle. He doesn’t say anything.

He takes Shiro to their quarters. It’s larger than the others, mainly because it’s Shiro’s, as he holds a higher rank, and Keith had just moved in. There’s plenty of space for them and Keith’s space wolf. It’s home and they’re comfortable here. 

After a year together in space, the idea of separate spaces is strange to say the least. They’ve both become comfortable sharing bunks and cockpits and being together. Even if they hadn’t decided to start a relationship, Shiro imagines he would have had Keith move in anyway. It’s a comfort to have someone close.

Behind closed doors, Keith is much more hands on. He steers Shiro to their bedroom, helping him out of his jacket and his shirt, sitting him on the edge of the bed, before disappearing into the bathroom for supplies. 

Shiro isn’t really used to this. He’s not used to being doted on or spoiled. Not that this is really that. He’s in a surprising amount of discomfort, since the stress of an ongoing intergalactic war isn’t really a vacation, not to mention his continued adjustment to a new body. 

He closes his eyes. 

_ One thing at a time, Shirogane. _

“Shiro?” 

He opens his eyes and looks up at Keith. He’s so quiet, barely making a sound, even with his boots on. He’s so much older now, all of his boyishness is gone, replaced with sharp, strong lines. 

A part of Shiro mourns for the year that they had lost, hurts from all the pain that he has caused Keith...perhaps continues to cause. He’s still guilty, though they’ve talked about it so many times at this point. 

“Where does it hurt?” Keith says, kneeling at his feet, hands hovering, but not touching. 

He realizes that he’s crying, reaching his hand up to wipe his face. 

“Sorry, sorry. I’m alright…” 

This isn’t the first time this has happened and he suspects it won’t be the last. They all sort of tend to...spontaneously cry, sometimes without even realizing it. It’s happened a few times, sometimes over a game of Monsters & Mana, all of them curling around each other. 

Shiro’s caught Keith a few times. Stoic as he always is, standing at the kitchen counter, tears streaming down his face. He’s so quiet and Shiro understands the reflex to hide your pain and your grief because of survival. 

Keith gently nudges his hand out of the way, gloveless hands coming up to brush gently at his face for him. His touch is soothing and soft, taking care. 

“You’re good,” he murmurs, “no apologizing.” 

Shiro huffs a laugh and nods, giving himself over to Keith’s capable hands. Sometimes Keith will say things and it goes straight to his core. 

_ You’re good. _

Keith cups his face and Shiro looks at him. His eyes are endless and beautiful. He could look into them all day if given the chance. Strong thumbs gently brush over his cheek bones, soothing, and he pulls his head down gently, kissing his cheek. 

“How can I help?” he asks softly. 

It’s times like this that Shiro sees Keith’s growth. He’s always asking, always checking in, never assuming. He used to be so impulsive. Shiro’s not surprised, really, he had seen Keith’s potential, knew what he would be capable of. It was satisfying in a way, to see that he was right, and he was so proud of the man he had become. 

“My shoulder has been bothering me all day,” he replies, voice subdued. 

They have a routine down for this, which helps. Keith gracefully rises to his feet, brushing his hands gently over Shiro’s face, before he grabs the small heating pad they have stowed away in one of the bedside tables. 

Shiro moves to the head of the bed, sitting back against propped pillows, watching Keith kick off his boots, and slide out of his jacket, before joining him on the bed. He kneels at Shiro’s side, gently wrapping the heating pad around what’s left of his arm and shoulder, and turning it on. 

While it warms, he leans over, pulling the small bag of medical supplies towards him. He pulls out a bottle of scar gel for later, setting it aside, before he settles beside Shiro. 

"C'mere," he murmurs, wrapping his arms gingerly around him. Shiro falls into his arms, allowing Keith to take his weight. They both sigh. Keith's fingers gently card through his hair and he closes his eyes.

The tender ministrations are sweet and soothing and the warm heating pad helps alleviate some of his tension, the pain there dissipating little by little. 

Soon enough, his head is in Keith's lap, and he feels a thousand times better. His fingers are still brushing through his hair, gently scratching his scalp, and Shiro can't keep his eyes open. 

"Good?" Keith asks softly and Shiro nods, sighing. He hears him chuckle, and a gentle kiss is pressed to his forehead as Keith lays back his fringe. 

"Wanna put some goop on your shoulder?" 

Shiro chuckles and nods. Keith turns off the pad, removing it carefully from Shiro's shoulder, and setting it aside. 

He's making noise on purpose. Shiro knows Keith can be as silent as a cat and is only being loud so that Shiro doesn't have to open his eyes. Shiro hears him uncapping the gel and the sound of the pump. 

“You okay if I put it on, angel?” Keith asks gently and Shiro nods, opening one eye to peer up at Keith. 

His expression is serious but soft, intent on the work he’s doing as he carefully smoothes the gel over Shiro’s scarred skin. He’s so careful, making sure to cover every inch of skin, never shying away. 

Shiro closes his eye and nuzzles his face against Keith’s belly, receiving a soft brush to his skin, and a kiss to his head. 

“All set,” he says softly, capping the gel, and placing it back in the medical bag. 

“Can we stay here for the rest of the day?” Shiro asks softly, turning his head to see Keith fully. 

Keith snorts, smirking down at him. 

“You weren’t really going to be given an option.” 

They both laugh and Shiro hums as Keith curls him close. His arms are strong, protective, and Shiro gives himself over to the feeling of safety that rises within him. It isn’t easy for him to be taken care of, but with Keith, it’s simple. He doesn’t need to pretend. He can be himself. He can be vulnerable. 

Shiro has never appreciated or loved anyone so much. 

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a thread I did on Twitter...because Shiro hugs are the best hugs and Keith deserves ALL OF THEM! 
> 
> I'm not a doctor, so I have no idea if this is proper injury care lol
> 
> If you enjoy my work and want to chat about Sheith with me, I'm on Twitter @PeaceLilies <3
> 
> And thanks as always to Ren for their read through and encouragement <333


End file.
